Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-tn8tq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-20T16:40:53.296Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Fe-Ag Superlattices by Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 September 2012

S. H. Mayer
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
C. J. Gutierrez
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
J. C. Walker
Affiliation:
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218
Get access

Abstract

We have succeeded in producing high quality (110)Fe/(111)Ag superlattices by Molecular Beam Epitaxy. Important parameters in the production of these materials were substrate temperature and effusion rates of the constituents. We have used SQUID magnetometry, Mössbauer spectroscopy and Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction to demonstrate flatness and continuity of the films down to a thickness of approximately 2 atomic layers for the iron and 5 atomic layers for the silver. In the case of the thinnest iron layers, no large reduction of the ferromagnetic Curie temperature was observed, although this had been suggested and reported by other investigators. Furthermore, there was no indication for this particular growth system that the magnetization of the iron was out of the plane of the film. Variations of the magnetic hyperfine fields observed in the iron films were seen both as a function of iron thickness and as a function of the thickness of the intervening silver layers. For the thinnest films, the temperature dependence of the magnetization showed a linear behavior rather than the traditional T3/2 form.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1989

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

1. Schuller, I.K. and Falco, C.M., Microstructure Science and Engineering/ SL, edited by Einspruch, N.G. (Academic, New York, 1982).Google Scholar
2. Fu, C.L., Freeman, A.J. and Oguchi, T., Phys. Rev. Lett. 54, 2700 (1985); C.L. Fu and A.J. Freeman, J. Mago. Magn. Mat. 69, Ll (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
3. Gay, J.G. and Richter, R., Phys. Rev. Lett. 56, 2728 (1986).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4. Gay, J.G. and Richter, R., J. Appl. Phys. 61, 3362 (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5. Gradmann, U., Bergholz, R. and Bergter, E., Thin Solid Films 126, 107 (1985).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
6. Gutierrez, C.J., Mayer, S.H. and Walker, J.C., J. Magn. Magn. Mat. (in press).Google Scholar
7. Bayreuther, G. and Lugert, G., J. Magn. Magn. Mat. 35, 50 (1983).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8. Volkening, F.A., Jonker, B.T., Krebs, J.J., Koon, N.C. and Prinz, G.A., J. Appl. Phys. 63, 3869 (1988).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
9. Qiu, Z.Q., Tang, H., Du, Y.W., Stern, G.P. and Walker, J.C., J. Appl. Phys. 63, 3657 (1987).CrossRefGoogle Scholar